Agbaje Urges Lagosians to Push APC into the Ocean with their Votes
Eight political parties endorse PDP guber candidate
Ojo M. Maduekwe The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Jimi Agbaje, yesterday urged Lagosians to use their votes and push the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) out of the state and into the ocean.
Agbaje, who spoke during his last campaign rally at the Trade Fair and Alaba International Market, said: “Nobody can push you into the Atlantic Ocean. Rather, you should use your votes to push APC into the Atlantic Ocean by voting massively for PDP on Saturday.”
The rally was held at the conference centre of the Automobile Spare Parts Manufacturers and Dealers Association (ASPAMDA), and Agbaje encouraged traders and supporters to troop out on Saturday to cast their votes in the governorship and state house of assembly elections.
At the rally, Agbaje urged the people to ignore the scare tactics being marshalled by APC, saying, it was the antics of a drowning party.
“Election is like a snake. You have to make sure you win by killing the snake completely by using your votes to drive APC out of power.
The reason why they are harassing you is because they fear Igbo votes.
They will try to do shakara for you. But ensure that you vote massively for the PDP and protect your votes,” he said.
He was accompanied by his running mate, Alhaja Safuratu Abdulkarim, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.
Thanking the people for voting massively for PDP in the presidential and legislative elections on March 28, Agbaje said it was clear that APC had seen the handwriting on the wall and knew its time was up.
In his own words: “In the last 16 years, APC has been full of arrogance. This arrogance must end once and for all. Saturday is the time to say enough is enough.”
Counselling the audience to eschew violence and refuse to be intimidated at the polling venue, Agbaje urged them to guard their votes.
“God is on our side and power will change hands on Saturday and life will be better for you and your businesses! There will be no
oppression again because this election is about freedom from bondage.”
The PDP candiidate said that the rival and ruling APC could only win the polls in Lagos through rigging. However, he said that the people could make their votes count through exercising vigilance at the election venue.
According to him, it is a known fact that a party could rig successfully only in a place where it was strong, but that the APC could was a waning force with its strength completely eroded.
Meanwhile, ahead of tomorrow’s governorship elections, eight political parties have endorsed Agbaje.
The parties include the United Party of Nigeria (UPN), Alliance for Democracy (AD), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Accord Party (AP), and African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Others are the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), National Conscience Party and Citizens Popular Party (CPP).
Leaders of the party at a press conference in Lagos yesterday, said they would work Vigorously for Agbaje’s emergence as governor of the state in tomorrow’s election.
Spokesperson for the group, Mr. Femi Ikuomola of UPN, enjoined the youths to vote for credible candidates in the election, irrespective of threat from any quarter.
Ikuomola, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said: “All the eight political parties hereby pledge allegiance and their total support, and unanimously endorse Jimi Kolawole Agbaje, the PDP standard bearer in the April 11 governorship election in the state.”
Reacting to the alleged threat by the Oba of Lagos to non-indigenes to vote All Progressives Congress (APC) or drown in the Lagoon, the parties said traditional rulers should desist from endorsing candidates and focus on their traditional role of protecting the culture of their people.
According to Ikuomola, “Any royal father who is interested in politics should renounce his rulership and venture into full politics.”
While stressing the need for a violence-free governorship and state House of Assembly elections, he called on the Inspector General of Police (IG), Sulieman Abba, to deploy more security men to volatile states in the country.